Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21927 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-12-05
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Formats: Black & White, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Now you see it. You're amazed. You can't believe it. Your eyes open wider. It's horrible, but you can't look away. There's no chance for you. No escape. You're helpless, helpless. There's just one chance, if you can scream. Throw your arms across your eyes and scream, scream for your life!" And scream Fay Wray does most famously in this monster classic, one of the greatest adventure films of all time, which even in an era of computer-generated wizardry remains a marvel of stop-motion animation. Robert Armstrong stars as famed adventurer Carl Denham, who is leading a "crazy voyage" to a mysterious, uncharted island to photograph "something monstrous ... neither beast nor man." Also aboard is waif Ann Darrow (Fay Wray) and Bruce Cabot as big lug John Driscoll, the ship's first mate. King Kong's first half-hour is steady going, with engagingly corny dialogue ("Some big, hard-boiled egg gets a look at a pretty face and bang, he cracks up and goes sappy") and ominous portent that sets the stage for the horror to come. Once our heroes reach Skull Island, the movie comes to roaring, chest-thumping, T. rex-slamming, snake-throttling, pterodactyl-tearing, native-stomping life. King Kong was ranked by the American Film Institute as among the 50 best films of the 20th century. Kong making his last stand atop the Empire State Building is one of the movies' most indelible and iconic images. --Donald Liebenson

DVD Description
The Original Black and White Classic starring Fay Wray

Special Features
Digitally remastered edition Theatrical Trailer of Peter Jackson's King Kong

Customer Reviews

Don't monkey around with Kong
The basic story is of Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong), who makes those cute little animal pictures that are going out of style. If he wants to stay in business he must add a female interest and some excitement. Circumstances forcing him to leave port quickly, he meets a girl Ann Darrow (Fay Wray), that is down on her luck and convinces her that he will make her a star (on the up and up).
Things get complicated, as you know it is bad luck to bring a woman onboard a freighter. And Ann really stirs them up including the first mate, Jack Driscoll (Bruce Cabot). On top of this she has a large date awaiting her at Skull Island.
I will not tell the rest of the story just incase you are one of the few that has missed the movie. But as you have guessed it includes a big ape named KONG. Not that cheesy thing that is always tussling around in Japanese movies, but a much more convincing Kong that can show great emotion.
You are about to watch the eight wonder of the world.

The Original and Best
This was the first film I saw - I was about seven years old! What I felt then, as now, was the atmosphere of forboding and terror: 'Tell her (Fay Wray ) to scream her heart out' to which the answer: 'What does he ( the expedition leader) expect her to see?' Considering the year this film was made, the special effects were remarkable, especially Kong's final demise on the top of the Empire State Building. I was very upset at such human cruelty. Every 'plane he swatted, I cheered to stop myself from crying. The film's creepy sense of compulsive viewing is something no later version has eclipsed. Like Kong, I fell in love with Fay Wray. I also wanted to adopt King Kong as my bodyguard buddy. What more could any seven year old boy's heart desire?

A lasting charm
With the new King Kong just realeased how does the original compare. Quite well actually in terms of entertainment. Although the special effects are obviously not that good it is still really entertaining . It must be said however that it is more of a comedy now than a serious film (it's the huge teeth that do it).

Unlike the new King Kong it dosn't feel as dragged out. Their is plenty of action in it. The only problem is that their isn't really any realationship between Kong and the woman.

Let's be honest, the first bit may drag a little but after that it is a good film, honestly. Still probably the best version yet!

I recommend it to everyone, even if it just for a good old laugh.